Water restrictions and lawn sprinkling permits
Water use across the region can increase by 50% in summer and early fall, for swimming pools, growing food, maintaining sports fields, and other social and community-building uses.
But a lot of water is also used to green our lawns, wash our decks or driveways, and for other lower-priority uses. Metro Vancouver's region-wide watering regulations are an effective way to help use our drinking water wisely.
Metro Vancouver’s Stage 1 watering restrictions are in effect May 1, 2024 to October 15, 2024. During Stage 1, residents may only water their lawns once per week. See more details below.
Stage 1 water restrictions effective May 1, 2024
Metro’s Drinking Water Conservation Plan implements outdoor watering restrictions from May 1 to October 15 each year in three stages. Visit Metro Vancouver's Lawn Watering Regulations webpage for more information.
Residential watering restrictions
Lawn watering permitted once weekly
- Even-numbered addresses on Saturdays
- Odd-numbered addresses on Sundays
- Automatic watering: 5am-7am
- Manual watering: 6am-9am
Trees, shrubs, and flowers
- Using a sprinkler: any day from 5am-9am
- Hand watering or using drip irrigation: any time
- All hoses must have an automatic shut-off device
Vegetable gardens and edible plants
- Exempt from regulations
Non-residential watering restrictions
Lawn watering permitted once weekly
- Even-numbered addresses on Mondays
- Odd-numbered addresses on Tuesdays
- Automatic watering: 4am-6am
- Manual watering: 6am-9am
Trees, shrubs, and flowers
- Using sprinkler: any day from 4am-9am
- Hand watering or using drip irrigation: any time
- All hoses must have an automatic shut-off device
Vegetable gardens and edible plants
- Exempt from regulations
Enforcement and water conservation officers
Each year the District hires water conservation officers to help spread the word about Metro Vancouver’s watering restrictions and to enforce them.
See the full list of water use regulations for homes and businesses for Stages 1 to 4
Learn more about watering rules and restrictions
To learn more about Metro's water stages and what you can or can't do in each stage, review their Drinking Water Conservation Plan Summary.
Permit to water during summer lawn sprinkling restrictions
You can apply for a lawn sprinkling permit to water your lawn daily for three weeks (between 4am and 9am) during summer restrictions.
You qualify for a permit if you are:
- installing a new lawn
- applying nematodes to your lawn to treat a chafer beetle infestation
- restoring your lawn following District-led street works
Permit fees
The permit costs $60 and is good for 21 days. The fee is waived if:
- you have a receipt to show that you have purchased nematodes
- your lawn is being restored following District-led street works
How to apply online
| $60 fee (new lawns) | Fee waived (nematodes or DNV restoration) | |
|---|---|---|
| Step 1 | Download the application form | Download the application form |
| Step 2 | Complete the application form and email it to us: infoweb@dnv.org | Complete the application form and email it, along with an electronic copy of your nematode receipt if applicable (photo or scan) to: infoweb@dnv.org |
| Step 3 | After receiving your application, we will email you a web link to pay the $60 fee online by credit card. Once we receive your payment, we will email your permit. This step can take 1-3 days. | Within 1-3 days of receiving your application, we will email your permit |
How to apply through the mail
If you do not have access to email, please print, fill out, and mail the documents below to District Hall.
355 W Queens Rd
North Vancouver, BC
V7N 4N5
